A very popular decorative garden plant in the West - rhododendron - began to win the hearts and Russian summer residents. This is actually an unusually spectacular shrub (less often a small tree), whose flowers in beauty are quite capable of competing even with roses. There are just a huge number of varieties of rhododendrons. Most of them are preferably planted in the garden in April. Read about how this operation is performed, as well as what constitutes care for rhododendrons in the spring.
Varieties of Rhododendrons
This ornamental plant belongs to the genus heather. The climate it prefers is humid, moderate. There are three main varieties of rhododendrons: deciduous, semi-evergreen and evergreen. Ways to care for them are practically no different. For the Russian climate, all three of these species are well suited. The only thing when choosing seedlings should pay attention to the degree of frost resistance. For gardens and orchards in central Russia, it is worthwhile to purchase only those varieties that can withstand a temperature drop of -30 ... -34 ° C.
Planting material
Before starting to figure out how to plant rhododendron in the spring, let's figure out how to choose the right variety. Most often, Russian gardeners grow rhododendrons of the Northern Lights, Rustica and KnapHill-Exbury series on their plots. The Japanese appearance of this shrub is also very good for our climate. A great solution would be the choice of almost any kind of Finnish selection. Dutch rhododendrons are practically not suitable for the Russian climate.
Quite often, in the gardens of domestic owners of suburban areas, you can see plants from the group of Katevba hybrids. The flowers of such rhododendrons are not too large and not particularly bright. However, a lot of them bloom on the branches. In this case, the bushes can reach 1.4 m in diameter and 4 m in height. The main advantage of such rhododendrons is their unpretentiousness and resistance to low temperatures.
Landing area
The question of how to properly plant rhododendron in the spring comes down to choosing the most suitable site for it. When deciding where this decorative bush will grow , you need to consider the fact that these plants:
- Do not tolerate direct sunlight. This is especially true for evergreen varieties.
- Love sour soils. On neutral rhododendrons will hurt and will not give abundant flowering. Alkaline soils, these plants do not tolerate categorically. No, even the most thorough care of rhododendrons in spring, summer and autumn will give results in this case.
- They grow well on moist soils, but do not tolerate stagnation of water.
- They can freeze if in winter the surface of the earth above the roots is not covered with a thick layer of snow.
Thus, in order for the plant to feel comfortable on the site, the rhododendron should be planted in spring or at any other time of the year under the spreading crowns of tall trees, in an unsinkable place with high snow cover in winter. Very often, these decorative bushes are also placed next to the fence. Do not choose an open place or corner of the house for planting rhododendron. This ornamental shrub also does not tolerate strong winds.
By choosing the right site, you can grow lush beautiful shrubs with bright showy flowers that do not cause any unnecessary trouble. If the place was originally chosen unsuccessfully, you should not be upset. You can always perform a procedure such as a rhododendron transplant. This is best done in spring. But you can move the bush in the fall, and even in the summer. Rhododendrons transplant can withstand very well.
Preparatory work
Under the purchased seedlings in a selected area, dig a hole 40 cm deep and 70 cm wide. Drainage is laid on its bottom. In very dry areas, sometimes a hole under the rhododendron, on the contrary, is spread with a thin layer of clay, which allows moisture to be retained at the roots.
The usual garden soil for these plants is completely unsuitable. The soil removed from the pit is removed. Instead, use a mixture of horse peat and completely decomposed cow manure (3: 1). In this case, the question of how and how to fertilize rhododendrons in the spring will not be faced by the owners of the site in the first 2-3 years. You do not need to feed.
You can also use a mixture of blueberries, half-ripened pine litter, coarse sand and sheet soil (1: 3: 1: 1) to fill the roots. To increase soil nutrition in the latter case, it is advisable to add a bucket of decomposed compost to the pit during planting.
How to plant rhododendron in spring
If the seedling was purchased in a container, it is dipped for a day in warm water. This is necessary so that the root ball gets wet. Some vendors plant rhododendrons in containers that are too tight. In this case, a dense crust of dead roots forms on all sides of the coma. It must be removed or at least cut through in several places. Otherwise, young roots will not break through it, and the plant will receive few nutrients.
Actually, the planting of rhododendron in spring is as follows:
- The plant is lowered into a prepared hole.
- Backfill is made in such a way that its root neck is slightly higher than the surface of the soil.
- Rhododendron planted in this way is mulched with peat or needles and watered abundantly.
Second landing method
So, we have figured out how to properly plant rhododendron in the spring. The technique described above is used quite often by Russian gardeners. However, she has one significant drawback. The soil under rhododendrons in contact with adjacent soil as a result of various kinds of natural processes begins to leach over time. And this is very harmful for plants. One has to either take any measures to acidify the soil, or even perform an operation such as a rhododendron transplant (in spring or autumn). Therefore, the owners of suburban areas often arrange special high beds for rhododendrons. On the selected site, soil is removed to a depth of 30 cm. Next, wooden sidewalls are installed along the perimeter of the pit. At the bottom of the resulting “box”, small pebbles are poured for drainage. The highest bed is filled with prepared acidic soil mixture. Actually landing is carried out in the usual way.
When to fertilize
Now let's figure out how to feed rhododendrons in the spring. Fertilize this ornamental shrub very carefully. For the first time, top dressing is done for 2-3 years of plant life. Early in the spring, mineral fertilizers are introduced into the near-stem circle - a mixture of ammonium sulfate and potassium with superphosphate at the rate of 2: 1: 1. About 80 g of this top dressing should go per square meter. Old plantings can be additionally fertilized with organic. It is best to use rotted manure or compost in the amount of one bucket per bush. Mullein most experienced gardeners do not recommend fertilizing rhododendrons.
Additional top dressing
In late May - early June, a second top dressing of rhododendrons is performed. In the spring, thus, the bushes fertilize twice. For the second time, the same mineral mixture is used, but in smaller quantities (about half).
The next time fertilizers are applied to the soil in summer - in July. In this case, phosphorus-potassium fertilizer is also used . Nitrogen supplements are not used in summer and autumn. Such fertilizers cause increased shoot growth due to the development of flower buds.
Spring Rhododendron Care
Remove shelter from rhododendrons after wintering immediately after the temperature has set in the street. Perform this operation on a cloudy day. Immediately substitute the shoots of this ornamental plant under the sun's rays. It is advisable for some time to even leave the shelter on the south side.
In order for the earth to thaw, and the roots begin to intensively absorb nutrients, the mulch should be removed from the trunk circle. It is impossible to allow melt water to linger for a long time. It also must be raked out. Further, according to the method described above, rhododendrons are fed. In the spring, after the melt water comes off, the plants begin to periodically water. In this case, use only warm, sun-warmed water.
Pruning of rhododendrons in the spring is usually not performed, since they do not tolerate this operation too well. If you want to give the bush a round or oval shape, the branches in the right places are shortened in two seasons - in the first year on the one hand, in the second - on the other.
In the evergreen species, after wintering, some leaves may acquire a brown color. They need to be deleted, because they will not be restored. Frozen shoots are also cut.
Rhododendrons - plants are quite hardy, and even if it seems to you that the bush has completely died out, you should not rush to remove it. The plant needs to be watered abundantly for some time. And then, quite possibly, new shoots will appear on it. The most unpretentious varieties after an unsuccessful wintering are fully restored by the fall. How to feed rhododendrons in the spring, you already know. Add some mineral fertilizers under the bush. This will help him gain strength and deal with damage.
Features of watering
Thus, the care of rhododendrons in the spring consists in abundant dressing and watering. The last operation should be carried out correctly. If the soil under the rhododendrons is constantly moistened with ordinary water, after a few years it will begin to leach. To prevent this, use table vinegar (half a glass per bucket) or citric acid (4 g). On hot spring days, plants need not only to be watered, but also sprayed.
Change to a new place
Sometimes it happens that the plant for some reason withers and blooms poorly. In this case, you can try to transfer it to a more suitable place. The question of how to transplant rhododendron in spring is not at all complicated. This procedure is performed as follows:
- The plant is dug up from all sides, trying not to damage the roots.
- They take out a bush and transfer it to a previously prepared hole.
- Sprinkle the roots with acidic soil in such a way that the neck remains on the surface.
- Mulch the plant, water it and shade from the south side.
If done carefully, the transplant rhododendrons may not even notice.
So, you and I have figured out how to care for such a plant as rhododendron in the spring. Top dressing, pruning and watering are mandatory procedures at this time of the year. This plant is not particularly whimsical, but it is still necessary to follow certain rules when growing it. If you do not violate the required technologies (properly prepare the soil, apply fertilizers on time and irrigate with acidified water), the bushes will delight the owners of the site with magnificent bloom for many years.